Legislative Update – March 16, 2026Dear Neighbors, It has been another incredibly busy couple of weeks at the Legislature as we bring forward our proposals to build a Minnesota that works for all. Last week, we passed our first bills off the House Floor, including unanimously voting to rename the Community Solar Garden Program for Speaker Emerita and former Energy Committee Chair, Melissa Hortman.  Melissa’s work on solar and clean energy helped build Minnesota into a nationwide leader, and one of her proudest achievements was the community solar garden program. The Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program will stand as a tribute to her legacy as Minnesota’s ‘godmother of solar,’ and I was honored to vote Green on this bill. Committee WorkThe past couple of weeks, I’ve had many bills heard in committee, as I work to find areas where we can work together with the other side to get things passed this year. My bill banning AI-generated “nudification” technology passed out of the Commerce Committee, and I’m working to ensure it becomes law so we can protect further Minnesotans from being victimized by predators. In the Health Committee, we heard my bill to ensure that city, county, or state staff who use the title of a social worker actually meet the state’s requirements for that profession. The bill provides crucial transparency for those navigating our systems and recognizes the dignity of our social workers. That bill also passed out of committee on a bipartisan vote. In the Children and Families Committee, I presented legislation establishing a Foster Youth Bill of Rights. Minnesota is one of five states without a consolidated set of legal protections for foster care youth, and my bill would right that wrong.  In the Taxes Committee, I presented my bill imposing a gross revenues tax on private detention facilities. I implored committee members to consider how we can take this step to address the misuse of taxpayer dollars on facilities that contract with ICE and respond to constituents fears over ICE’s actions in our communities. I’ll continue to push for this bill, and you can watch my presentation here. These are just a few of the bills I’m working on this year, and I’ll share more with you as we get closer to committee deadlines and the end of session. |